Appello and Housing LIN launch Whitepaper: Countdown to digital - Can housing providers meet the challenge of the digital telecare deadline?

1​4 May 2024

Findings show housing providers are ready to move to digital – but lack of clarity is a concern.

Over 80% of housing providers are making plans to begin the move to digital telecare this year, according to the results of an industry survey. A sizeable majority are positive about their progress but there's also a note of caution: many organisations are unsure they will meet the analogue switch off deadline and over half have been held back by a lack of information from the telecare industry.

These are just some of the findings from the latest Digital Telecare Barometer, a survey of key decision makers across the supported housing sector, compiled by the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN) and digital telecare supplier, Appello.

Overall, the responses highlight housing providers are moving in the right direction.

There’s a high level of awareness (over 93%) of the analogue switch off and over 67% see safety as a key driver for the digital upgrade. Many also want to explore what else they can achieve with digital services: 47% are interested in tackling issues such as loneliness and social isolation, 42% are keen to improve communication and 38% want to increase their use of proactive monitoring.

However, the responses also show there's a long way to go on the digital journey:

• Over 61% are apprehensive about the impact of the analogue switch off
• 42% are not confident they will meet the deadline for this
• Nearly half (49%) indicated financial restraints have proved challenging in the current economic climate

Alongside this, the majority of respondents have been held back by a lack of clarity on digital telecare. Over half (53%) felt suppliers had not provided adequate information, while 31% stated there has not been enough detail about the telecoms network changes and the impact of these.

The findings of the survey are explored in a new report from Appello and Housing LIN, ‘Countdown to Digital: Can Housing Providers Meet the Challenge of the Digital Deadline?’, available to download here.